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Rest in Peace: Dr. D. N. Parkerson September 15, 1937 - October 24, 2012

Posted on Oct 24, 2012 by Cheri Leavy  | 

3 Comments  | 

I took this photo when we visited the Parkersons at the lake. He is in action sending his Bulldog cheer around the world!

Vance and I had the privilege to visit with Dr. Parkerson and his wife Marilyn at their lake home. We took a tour of their Bulldog basement packed with UGA Bulldog memorabilia dating back to the early 1900s. Dr. Parkerson loved to tell tales and one was that a highly successful Parkerson businessman had as his greatest treasure, a ticket to the first game ever in Sanford Stadium in 1929. He said he carried it everywhere even up into the 1980s for everyone to see. I think that man must have been Doc’s father. His Bulldog pedigree and his love of the Lord meant so much to him and he wore both proudly every day of his life.

Dr. Parkerson sent hundreds of thousands of email updates to Georgia fans across the world regularly. I got a kick out of my husband getting a new vitamin from time to time under the direction of the doc in his tips to good health he always included somewhere in the email.

We will surely this miss this fine man and “damn good dawg!” May he rest in peace. Let his family celebrate a life well-lived and enjoy the happy memories as I sure will fondly remember my phone calls and visits with him. He was joyful man that loved his Georgia Bulldogs!

EASTMAN… Services for Dr. Don N. Parkerson of Lake Oconee, formerly of Eastman, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 27, 2012 in the First Baptist Church in Eastman with burial in Orphan’s Cemetery. Stokes Southerland Funeral Home of Eastman is in charge of the arrangements. Dr. Parkerson was born on September 15, 1937 and died on October 24, 2012. He was the son of the late Sadie Ivey Parkerson and Bartow David Parkerson. He was a former member of the First Baptist Church in Eastman and he was saved there on October 10, 1944. He was most recently a member of The River of Life Church at Lake Oconee, Georgia.

Dr. Don Parkerson graduated from Eastman High School, the University of Georgia and Palmer College of Chiropractic. He served as president of his college class and was a former high school biology teacher and football, basketball, baseball, and golf coach at Banks County High School, Elbert County High School, and Dodge County High School. He was a Chiropractor in Eastman for 33 years. He served as president of the Georgia Chiropractic Association, Palmer College Alumni Association, Georgia Board of Chiropractic Examiners, Gideons, Lions Club, Shriners, and Dodge County Booster Club.

He served 14 years on the Board of Directors of the International Chiropractors Association, was instrumental in the founding of Life University and served as a member of the Board of Trustees for 28 years. He also served on the Board of Trustees of Middle Georgia College and on the Board of Regents of Liberty University. He served 31 years as a sportscaster for Dodge County sports and was named Eastman High School Alumnus of the Century in 1996. In 2010, he was inducted into the Eastman High School Hall of Fame. He was a professional speaker, ordained deacon, and the author of two published books, Five Easy Steps to 30 Years of Volume, and Remembering Eastman High School.

Survivors include his wife, Marilyn Gore Parkerson of Lake Oconee, daughter and son, Beverly (Gary) Mitchell of Ivanhoe, North Carolina and Dr. Don N. (Julie) Parkerson, Jr. of Smyrna; grandsons, Dare Bartow Mitchell of Ivanhoe, North Carolina and Micah Paul Parkerson of Smyrna, and granddaughter Sadie Ivey Parkerson of Smyrna; brothers, Dr. Bartow D. (Amelia) Parkerson, Jr. of Lake Oconee and Rex M. (Caryle) Parkerson of Eastman. Several nieces and nephews, plus his beloved poodle, Rainey, also survive.

Pallbearers for the service are Dr. James Gore, Jr., Dr. John Gore, B. David Parkerson, III, Dr. Grant Parkerson, William Perry Parkerson, and Lawrence Rogers

Honorary pallbearers for the service are Rev. Bill Barnes, Dr. Robert Bearden, Rev. Aubrey Corbitt, Clay Corbitt, Wendell Graham, Dr. Durie D. Humber, Dr. Bill King, Bill Lowery, Jack Minchey, Rev. L. E. Mobley, Daniel B. Pickett, Tommy Pritchett, Jack Sharp, Hal M. Smith, Jr., W. J. Steele, Norman Taylor, Jeff Wilson, and Gary Yawn.

The family will receive friends on Friday, October 26 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Stokes Southerland Funeral Home. The family may be contacted at the home of Lawrence and Paula Rogers in Eastman. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to the Vince Taylor Memorial Fund of the First Baptist Church in Eastman, Gideons International, or the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Tagged: dr d n parkerson, georgia bulldogs, uga